Dozens of residents ask Madison County lawmakers to restore funding to nonprofit agencies

More than three dozen residents asked members of Madison County Board of Supervisors to restore funding for nonprofit agencies and other services that were eliminated or reduced in the proposed 2013 budget.

A standing room only crowd filled the board chambers in Wampsville this morning for public hearings on the county’s $$105,260,148 proposed spending plan, which calls for a 2.35 percent increase to the county's tax levy.

It was the largest turnout at a budget hearing in more than a decade, county officials said. The board is expected to vote tonight on a local law to override the property tax cap and resolutions regarding funding restoration for nonprofit agencies and the county highway department.

County officials have said that the nearly $400,000 in cuts to nonprofit agencies are necessary to avoid surpassing the state’s property tax cap.

Additional cuts include reductions to the overtime budget for the highway department, which could result in limited snowplowing on nights and weekends, and the elimination of funding for the Madison Transit System, the county’s public bus service, after May.

One by one, residents shared their connections to the affected agencies, including Community Action Partnership, Cornell Cooperative Extension, the county’s agricultural economic development program and local libraries.

“Rather than decrying the impact of ‘unfunded’ state mandates. . . why not work to assure that these services are necessary, and, if so, are carried out efficiently and effectively?” said Oneida resident Rick Kinsella.

Cazenovia Town Board member Bill Zupan said he hoped the board would have the “political courage” to override the tax cap and restore the funding cuts to nonprofits and county highway services.

“People understand you have to pay for what you get,” said Peter Darby of Earlville.

Other residents addressed recent proposals that supervisors and county employees contribute to their health care premiums.

“It simply isn’t fair for the rest of us,” said Karen Nowak of Brookfield.

Jackie Mineo, also of Brookfield, also urged supervisors to do away with a policy that provides lifelong health insurance to supervisors after 10 years of service.

“We’re in another age now,” she said. “That can no longer exist.”

Tonight’s meeting begins at 7 p.m. with additional public comment on the proposed budget. The board will vote on the final budget sometime in December.